Despite Calling Out Haxton, 17-Time Bracelet Winner Phil Hellmuth Selling Branded Masks for $17
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Update: April Fools!
In early February, Phil Hellmuth called out Isaac Haxton for wearing a facemask at the poker table and that “no one should be able to cover their face.” Despite that, the Poker Hall of Famer has announced that he is now selling branded facemasks on PhilHellmuth.com and at the ARIA gift shop in Las Vegas.
The Poker Brat shared that he is selling the mask for $17 apiece in honor of his 17 World Series of Poker (WSOP) gold bracelets. Not only do the masks bear Hellmuth’s recognizable logo, but they also sport various brand logos associated with Hellmuth including ARIA, Luxon Pay, 3Bet Premium Poker Clothing, and perhaps most surprisingly Sour Patch Kids, seemingly Hellmuth’s candy of choice.
Fittingly, there is also a black and gold “17” on the mask presumably to recognize Hellmuth’s record gold bracelets.
“In honor of my 17 bracelets, I’m going to be selling these masks for $17 each,” Hellmuth said in an announcement video. “Go to PhilHellmuth.com or go to the ARIA store and buy the new Phil Hellmuth mask.”
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Masks Already on Sale
The Hellmuth-branded masks actually went on sale back on March 20, with several folks players picking them up at the ARIA gift shop. Las Vegas grinder Nick Revello was one such player who bought one off the shelf.
Revello is far from the only one with a Hellmuth mask. In fact, several players were spotted donning the mask at the WSOP Circuit Horseshoe, which has been taking places across the street from ARIA.
Players aren’t the only ones sporting the masks as WSOP officials have also been encouraged to wear a mask if they so choose, and Horseshoe floorman Anthony Mink took advantage of that during the Circuit stop.
“Staying healthy during tournament series if important but sometimes hard too do given the sheer amount of people all touching the same cards and chips,” Mink explained when asked why he got a Hellmuth mask. “I usually wear a mask while working, and I figured for a WSOP stop what better mask to wear than one from the all-time bracelet winner. Players seems to love it and many have even asked where I got mine.”
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Hellmuth Explains Why
Selling masks is a face turn for Hellmuth, who less than two months ago said, "NO ONE should be able to cover their face, unless you use your own hands to do it. This isn’t online poker. ‘Tells’ matter in live poker: it is a skill to hide your tells and another skill to read your opponent’s tells.”
For some, it may seem a bit hypocritical, but in a short interview with PokerNews, Hellmuth explained his reasoning.
“If Ike is allowed to wear a mask at the table, I figured I might as well, too. After talking to my best friend, Chamath Palihapitiya, and Joe Lacob, who owns the Golden State Warriors, also 49ers owner Jed York, who is a friend of mine, I realized that poker fans deserved to wear the same mask I’ll be wearing at the World Series of Poker this summer.”
Hellmuth added with a laugh, “Hopefully it will turn out to be a limited-edition mask, because if I capture my 18th bracelet we’ll have to update it.”
While players can purchase masks now, Hellmuth shared there is at least one player who won’t have to buy one.
“I actually have one to give to Ike [Haxton] when I see him next,” Hellmuth chuckled. “I don’t know how he’ll feel about it, but if he insists on wearing one, why not wear one from the most-decorated player in history?”
Hellmuth also shared that while the masks are currently available only on his website and the ARIA gift shop, they will also be for sale at kiosks and the gift shop at this summer’s WSOP.
